For Her, a tribute to Priestess Skye
by landofthekwt
Summary: Birthday fics for Priestess Skye in the For Her Universe. Inuyasha may belong to Rumiko Takahasahi, but For Her and Cho belong to Priestess Skye Here is a link to For Her by Priestess Skye /s/3812533/1/For Her
1. Empty Nest

Title: Empty Nest

Author: landofthekwt

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Rating: G

Universe: For Her by Priestess Skye

Birthday Fic for Priestess Skye

Summary: Inuyasha ponders his empty house after his last child leaves home.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha may belong to RT and various corporations, but For Her and Cho belong to Priestess Skye

A/N Happy Birthday Skye. I would like to thank you for the many hours of pleasure that For Her

have given has given me.

All guests had finally left. All of the children and their mates were gone. It was just the two of them alone in the that big empty house. As Inuyasha walked through the halls he could hear the echoes of their laughter. In the dojo he could remember all the times he had sparred with them here. He had taught them everything that he ever knew.

Cho's melodious voice could be heard in each of the their rooms, telling them tales of their great and glorious father and the evil hanyou he had vanquished. As he watched she dried the tears of the little ones and told them that everything would be all right. Even he had believed her.

They were alone again. It had been so long that he could hardly remember it. He was not sure how to react to it. The feeling brought back bad memories of his childhood and he shivered.

They had been alone when they had arrived here. He had carved their home from stone and drove the youkai from this place. It was here they had made their stand. It was here that they raised their children. It was here that together with their children they had made a home.

Without Cho, none of this would have been possible. She had given him back his heart and given him something to live for after Kagome had left him for Sesshoumaru. Gradually, she had helped him let go of the hate and anger that he felt and replaced them with love for her.

They had survived alone before and they would do so again. No need to get maudlin. He just needed to find Cho to reassure him that everything was alright.

The trail of her scent led to the grave site of their child who had been killed by a tiger youkai. Her back was to him as she bent down to place the blue and purple bellflowers on the grave. The irony struck him, but he dismissed it. No need to raise old ghosts at a time like this.

It was clear that Cho was hurting as much as he was. He had become more sensitive to her feelings over the years. If he had not he would have driven them both crazy long ago.

He swept her into his arms and gazed into her beautiful green eyes. At that moment he knew why this woman was the one person in the whole world that could ever be his mate. He clutched her to him as she cried into his shoulder. All he wanted at that moment was to make her happy again.Finally, they broke the embrace and smiled at each other. As they walked hand in hand back to their home they knew that as long they had each other it would be enough.


	2. Why We Fight

Title: Why We Fight

Author: landofthekwt

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1130

Universe: For Her by Priestess Skye

Pairing: S/K,M/S

Warning: None

Summary: A birthday giftfic for Priestess Skye from her For Her fanfic. Inuyasha considers his choices on the eve of the last battle with Naraku

Disclaimer: Inuyasha may belong to RT and various corporations, but For Her belong to Priestess Skye

A/N Happy Birthday Skye. I would like to thank you for the many hours of pleasure that For Herhave given has given me. .net/s/3812533/1/For_Her

He was in Goshinboku when Miroku found him staring out into the night. The last battle was finally upon them. Soon it would all be over. Naraku would laid to rest. He, Miroku and Sango would all obtain their revenge for all the misery that he had caused them.

Revenge for Kikyou. Revenge for Miroku's father and grandfather. Revenge for all of the demonslayers. Why was it not sweet Why was it not satisfying. It was the day he had dreamed of since first learned of Naraku's existenece and what he had done to himself and Kikyou.

Now it seemed hollow. Without Kagome. Without Kikyou. The day had lost its significance. Killing Naraku would not revive to Kikyou. Killing Naraku would not bring Kagome back to him. She was mated to Sesshoumaru and lost to him forever.

She had been his strength. His heart had been healed by her only to be crushed. She had promised to stay by his side. In truth she had, but he could not stay. The truth was that he could not bear even the thought of her in the arms of his brother.

And so he left to retain what was left of his sanity and with him went the rest of his little pack. He had always been dreaded being alone. Sango, Miroku and Shippou might be with him, but he was more alone now than he had ever been.

He had lost his heart. It was worse than with Kikyou. He had never truly given himself to her. Never truly trusted her. He had opened himself to Kagome. Left his heart vulnerable by trusting her. Only to be crushed by the one person he loved in the whole world.

It figured that it would be Sesshoumaru who would take Kagome from him. He had tried to take Tessaiga which Father had left to him. That denied to him he had taken the person whom Inuyasha valued most Kagome.

At this moment he could not decide whom he hated more. Sesshoumaru for stealing Kagome from him or Kagome for leaving him for Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru was a bastard. Stealing Kagome was par for the course for him.

But Kagome. All of her promises to him had been broken. All of her vows to him forsaken. All for what. To be with the person he hated the most in the world. To give to Sesshoumaru the thing that he wanted the most in this world: her love.

He had always dreamed that she would be his mate. Instead, she had chosen his brother. His world had ended at that point. Life did not seem worth living any longer. What did it matter if Naraku won. He did not want or need the Jewel anymore. Why should he care if Naraku had it allThe world could be a worse place for him than it already was.

He really should gone to hell with Kikyou. At least then he would have been with someone he loved.. He had once hated Kikyou when he thought she had betrayed him. The hate had been replaced by a sense of duty to her. At the end he at last admitted his lover for her.

Instead he had stayed with Kagome. His heart knew true betrayal. He hated her with every fiber of his being. Sesshoumaru and Naraku he could forgive. They had never betrayed him. They had never broken his heart.

Now he was faced with a choice. The last battle was upon them. Sesshoumaru and Kagome would be there. Could he put aside the hate for a moment and unite with them against Naraku. He was not sure. At them moment he hated them more than any grudge that he had against Naraku. The thought of seeing her again was just too painful.

"Inuyasha, it is time to go"

" Why, Miroku. What is the point of it all. Why should I care."

"It is time to end this. Even though things did not work out you planned you have to go on."

" What difference would it make if I am not there."

"We need you. Without you we cannot kill him. You know that."

"We stood by you when you left Kagome. It is time to stand by us now. We are your friends, Inuyasha. Please do not punish us for what she has done. Unless Naraku dies, I will die. When I die, Sango will have nothing to live for. Will you care for Shippou when we are gone."

" Could you fight side by side with them if Sango had gone with Sesshoumaru."

"It would tear at heart, but I love Sango enough to let her go if that would make her truly happy."

" I am not so sure. My hate for Kagome consumes me The thought of seeing her with Sesshoumaru makes my blood boil. The thought of fighting with them against Naraku makes me sick."

"You only hate her because you still love her. If you did not care fighting with her would not make any difference"

"But she was mine to protect, mine to love. Mine."

"Then make the most of this battle. It may the last time you see her again. Your last time to protect her again. The last time you will ever be able to show her how you feel about her."

"And what of Sesshoumaru. Do you think that she will have eyes for anyone but him."

"If you believe that you truly are blind. Don't you realize how much she has loved you over the years. Even though she never understood how much you loved her she stayed by your side. In the end it was you that left because you could not face seeing them together"

" When does the pain end. When does the hurt go away. When does the heart heal."

" Only time and love can heal the wounds of the heart. Someday you will find a love who will not kill you or run off with your brother. Remember that we love you and you are part of our family"

He sighed. What choice did he have. He had come too far to turn back now. The menace of Naraku and the Jewel needed to be ended once and for all. He could not abandon Miroku and Sango in their hour of need.

Most of all he could not abandon her. He had promised to protect her. Even though Sesshoumaru had usurped that role, she still needed hm now to finish the quest. And so he would gird himself with Tessaiga one more time to destroy Naraku and the Jewel. One more time he would fight for her.


	3. A Place for Us

Title A Place For Us

Author landofthekwt

Rating K+

Word Count 1470

Warning none

A birthday gift for Priestess Skye set in the For Her Universe

Summary Sesshoumaru approaches Inuyasha about protecting Kagome

Inuyasha was actually easy to find. One just had to follow the trail of destruction to find his idiot brother. The five scars left in the earth clearly marked his passing. That and the carcasses of in his wake.

The towns in his path were abuzz. Yes, they had seen a hanyou with a large sword. No, they were not here any longer. In each village he heard the same story. The boy would arrive with a strange foreign woman heavy with child in tow.

They could not agree on her origin. Some said Korean. All agreed that she was a slut. No decent Japanese woman would even consider bearing the child of a half-breed.

It all seemed so familiar. He had heard the same voices whispering the same words about Izayoi. The faces changed, but words remained the same.

Once he would have followed their lead. Now he had Kagome. His heir would be a hanyou. At last he understood what his father meant when he asked him if he had someone to protect.

This was the leverage he needed. Inuyasha would understand. All he need do was hint of a threat to his mate and offer a solution and the boy would be willing to listen to him.

He walked to the place where the woman was tending Inuyasha's wounds. They must be severe.

Inuyasha had not even noticed his approach so close to his mate and unborn child.

"Inuyaasha"

The woman stood brandishing a kodachi " Get away from him. You idiot."

Sesshoumaru almost laughed. It reminded him so much of the day Kagome had protected him with her body after he had come to witness his brother's transformation and test the truth of Bokuseno's words.

Kagome had always interested him. From the time she was able to pull the sword from the platform in his fathers' tomb to her arrows which had destroyed his armor and reversed the transformation of Tessaiga

It was her fearlessness in the face of overwhelming odds that attracted him. He readily understood why Inuyasha was driven to protect her and why his speed, strength and determination increased when she was in danger

Her reckless nature brought her today. She would never see the hate that other demons had for here. Somehow she believed that if she treated others well they would do the same for her.

When she looked at Osamu the Lord of the South, she saw a potential ally. When Sesshoumaru looked at him, he saw a potential enemy. The alliance was a way of keeping his enemies close where he could keep an eye on them.

.What he heard about Osamu disturbed him. So long as stood together against humans for racial purity they stood together. The basilisk had always expressed his disdain for any demon who dared to mate with a human and sire hanyou children.

Sesshoumaru needed a contingency plan. A safe house where he could hide Kagome in case Osamu ever turned on him and attempted to strike at him through Kagome or their children.

As he reviewed the choices available, he realized that only one person could be trusted to defend Kagome without regard to his own life. That person was Inuyasha.

Although he had not seen Inuyasha he had kept track of him over the years since Naraku's defeat. One never knew when such information might become useful.

It had been easy to find him. Now he needed to convince him that he needed to protect the woman who had left him for Sesshoumaru. No easy task.

" Relax, woman. I am not going to harm your women" The woman was unmoved.

"Inuyasha Tell your woman to stand down"

Inuyasha slowly opened " What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"

" I need to ask for a favor."

" Since when would I consider doing a favor for you?"

"Not even for Kagome?"

Inuyasha bit his lip. He could not discuss Kagome in front of Cho. " Cho, go to the stream and fill the water bottles."

Cho looked at him uncertainly. He smiled at her with the wry grin that had always melted her heart. " Go. I will be fine."

Sesshoumaru watched her go. Inuyasha had found someone else. Would he still be willing to protect Kagome.? He altered his approach.

"Do you think you can protect her?"

"So long as I have a breath in my body."

:" Our father thought that he could protect Izayoi."

"No thanks to you. I thought you were here about Kagome. Stay the hell away from Cho."

" I have no interest in your mate, but our interest might actually coincide."

"How so.?"

" You want to protect your mate. I want to protect Kagome. What if I could offer you a way to protect your mate?"

" I am listening."

" I knew that you have been driven from town to town by the humans. You will have no place to rest. Humans will never forgive her or the child she carries. Surely, you of all people know this."

"Yes, I lived it."

"Then, you know better than most than most how hard her life with be. You cannot protect her every hour of every day from the race which scorns her."

" Are you going some where with all this?"

"I followed you using the corpses of demons dispatched by the Windscar."

"Yea, Those idiots all want to make a name for themselves by killing I killed Naraku."

" Actually I killed Naraku, but that is beside the point. How would you like a place where you did not have to fight all the time to protect what is yours from humans or demons?"

Inuyasha looked at his present condition. One day one of the bastards would get him. What would become of Cho or their child then? Who would protect her from the mobs who had killed his mother?

" Why? You always hated me. You tried to take Tessaiga from me. You took Kagome from me.

Why would you want to help me? Why would I want to help you?"

"Because you are only person in the world who would be willing to sacrifice his life to protect Kagome. You are the only person I would trust with her life."

"You are forgetting that I hate you and Kagome."

"Do you really? I wonder."

" Enough talk. Tell me what you want or get out."

" I am willing to offer you a place to live. A place to raise a family that demons and humans do not know about. A place where you could finally live in peace.

" What is the catch? You never offer this place to me unless you wanted something from me."

" This place is untamed. It would be up to you to make it a place to raise a family."

"And"

" And someday in return I may ask a small favor from you."

"I knew it. What is this small favor?"

" There may come a time when I cannot protect Kagome or trust anyone else to protect her. On that day, I will ask you to come and take her to this place and protect her until I am able to protect her again."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped. He could not believe that Sesshoumaru would trust him with Kagome after all that they had been through. Cho would be glad that they would finally be able to find a place to raise a family. Although she had never said so, he knew that life on the road had been rough for her. The child was coming soon. They needed a place to live

Kagome. Kagome was another issue. Inuyaasha had been through Kikyou with Kagome. He did not want to go through the same thing with Cho. The thought of Kagome needing his protection chilled him to the bone. He had spent years trying to protect her. The sword knew her and protected her How could he refuse to protect her?"

"Well."

" For her." He murmured.

" I will make the arrangements."

Sesshoumaru departed leaving with his thoughts. He noticed that Cho was standing with the water buckets in hand. scowling at him.

" Who was that? What did he want? Most importantly who is Kagome?".

"Come and sit by me. I am going to build you that house that you always wanted. Our child will have a place to live and grow. A place that our family can live in peace."

Cho was on him in instant kissing and hugging him Despite the pain of his wound he knew that for once he had said the right thing.


	4. Old Flames

Title Old Flames

Author landofthekwt

Rating K

Prompt Birthday gift fic for Priestess Skye

For Her Universe

Word Count 1186

Pairing Sesshoumaru/Kagome Inuyasha/Cho

Warning none

Summary Inuyasha brings Kagome from the Western Palace to his home

She glared at Inuyasha as he brought Kagome into the house. How dare he bring her into their home. She had heard the stories, but she had never met Kagome in person. There were gaps a mile wide in the tales Inuyasha told. It was clear that what was missing in the stories was Kagome.

What was missing in the stories was easily discernible. Once Kagome and Inuyasha had been in love. He never said it, but everything pointed to her being the love of his life before Cho came into the picture. Kikyou was just a distant painful memory in these stories, but Kagome was still too painful to talk about.

Still, she had not felt threatened by Inuyasha's old flame until now. Until now she had been the person who could not be named. Inuyasha's traveling companion in the war against Naraku. The living legend who had helped bring down the avatar of hell. Mate of the Lord of the West. Never a real person

For the past one hundred years she had been the mate of Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru. To Cho she was just another woman even if she was the Lady of the West Kaogme was not a threat to her. Her fears started when Inuyasha told her that Kagome would be staying with them until Sesshoumaru finished his little war.

Why? Cho wanted to know why Inuyasha brought her into their home. She knew that Inuyasha had been talking to Sesshoumaru. One of the conditions he had made when he gave them these land was that Inuyasha would protect Kagome if necessary. She had not forgotten. One hundred years had passed without the condition ever being imposed.

Inuyasha told her that Kagome was pregnant and had been attacked in her own bed. Sesshoumaru needed to go to war. Only by sending her to Inuyasha could he insure her safety

None of this helped with the unease that Cho felt about Kagome's presence. Inuyasha had not gone through enemy lines to retrieve her because for Sesshoumaru's sake. It was for her.

Cho could feel the bond between the two of them. She knew that even though Inuyasha and Kagome might have been separated for one hundred years that she could never sever that bond.

that they shared. It made her feel inferior to Kagome. She and Inuyasha had spent one hundred years together. Raised eight children together. Yet all that vanished when she looked into the faces of Inuyasha and Kagome.

It was not anything they said or did. Just a feeling that she had when she watched Inuyasha come into the house with Kagome still on his back. A feeling of shared experience. As if one hundred years had vanished and Kagome was still that young girl clinging to his back as he slid her off his back. It was if she had never left his side to go with Sesshoumaru and bear his heir.

And then Kagome slid off his back. The baby bump was readily apparent. The rich clothes marked this woman as the Lady of the West. Everything about her screamed Sesshoumaru.

Cho had only met Sesshoumaru a handful of times, but she knew that they owed their safety and happiness to him. He was entrusting his most precious persons to Inuyasha.

Kagome was glad to off Inuyasha's back. Being there brought back so many memories. It also reminded her of how they parted. His anger and hatred toward her could never be forgotten. It had made the parting easier. Now. Now she did not know what to think. She had not seen him in one hundred years. On the eve of war, Inuyasha appeared to whisk her away from danger.

She had not seen him in one hundred years. Surely, he had changed. He mentioned a wife,Cho as they traveled, but did not elaborate. She should be happy for him. He had moved on after she chose Sesshoumaru. Yet, when she saw the woman looking at her with hostility in her eyes, she cringed.

It brought back all the bad feelings she had about feeling second best to Kikyou in Inuyasha's heart. Why shouldn't he move on? Still, the look she saw on the face of Inuyasha's wife reminded her so much of the look on her face. And then it struck her. I am Kikyou to her. The old flame from the past who shares an unbreakable bond with her.

She had never thought about Kikyou felt about her relation with Inuyasha. Kikyou's mask had fallen only once when Inuyasha left her to save Kagome. Those words were haunting " Do you care more about her than me?" Fortunately, for Kagome she had found her true love, she no longer needed Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru was her mate and she was bearing his child.

This woman must not go through what she did. She must make it clear as Kikyou did not, that she had no desire to rekindle her love for Inuyasha. It might be nice to have him as a friend again instead of an enemy, but her love for him had died even before she turned to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha belonged to this woman now. She would tread lightly so as not cause hard feelings.

Inuyasha turned to Cho. He took her in his arms. The path from the Western Palace had been fraught with danger. He feared for her. What had he brought into their home? All the power of the Southern Lord would be brought to bear. They had already tried to kill Kagome and her child. What would stop them from coming here and endangering Cho?

Inuaysha looked at Cho. She seemed stiffened and apprehensive. He had never seen her like this Cho had been depressed since the wedding. The house seemed so empty without children.

Somehow he hoped that Kagome would bring back that spark which was missing. Then it hit was jealous of Kagome. That was ridiculous. Kagome was a lost love which could never be rekindled. She carried Sesshoumaru's child in her womb. He was making good on the promise he had made to Sesshoumaru when he granted them this land. Sesshoumaru had made them safe when he granted them this land. Now they must protect Kagome and his heir until it was safe for them to return to Sesshoumaru.

It was nice to see Kagome again, but she was not his and never would be. The woman with the flashing green eyes was his and had been through one hundred years and eight children. Somehow, he needed to reassure her that he loved her and not Kagome. He leaned down and kissed her whispering " I missed you."

Cho was taken aback. All thoughts about Kagome flew out of the window in that moment. After a long lingering kiss they broke free and just looked at each other for a moment. It seemed as if they were the only people in the world. Until Kagome whom they had forgotten cleared her throat and they set to moving Kagome into the bedroom she would occupy until Sesshoumaru returned for her.


	5. Butterflies Are Free

Title Butterflies Are Free

Author landofthekwt

Rating M

Pairing Inuyasha/Cho

Based on For Her by Priestess Skye

A birthday gift fic

Warning none

Summary Inuyasha meets Cho for the first time

A/N We are not told how Inuyasha and Cho met in For Her. Cho is a common Korean surname of Chinese origin, but it also means Butterfly in Japanese. Hideyoshi campaigned in Korea from 1592-1598 without success.

He gazed at the ships in the harbor. Ships of the gajin.. Ships from every part of the Empire Most importantly, the remaining ships of the great fleet Hideyoshi assembled for the conquest of China.

Inuyasha laughed. Human dreams of conquest. Japan had not been enough for Hideyoshi. He waned to conquer China. Unfortunately for him, the Koreans did not see their country as a road to China.

He stared up the cliffs at the Western Shiro. Non-youkai could not see the unconquerable fortress of the Inu no Taisho. A place he and his mother had been excluded from by Sesshomaru. The place where the bastard lived with Kagome the woman he hated.

Normally, he would not have come within sight of his birthright. It reminded him that Sesshoumaru had stolen his birthright and Kagome from him. He would not be here at all if he had not been looking for work as a mercenary.

Unfortunately, he had arrived too late. There would be no more ships to Korea. The last stragglers had just pulled into port. Nothing for him here. No war. No battle. No use for his sword. Nothing to do but go home.

He paused deep in thought. Home. He had no home. Kagome had been his home, but she left him for Sesshoumaru. He stayed with Kaede until she died. Miroku and Sango had cared for him until they passed on. Shippou had grown up and left home. There was nothing for him there.

"Move it abomination."

Inuyasha looked up into the face of fearsome samurai leading a girl tied to him by rope. She was as wretched as the samurai was magnificent. Dressed in rags. Nothing but skin and bones. Feet so sore she could barely stand.

Yet in that moment, Inuyasha saw something in the girl that reminded him of Kagome. Despite her appearance her will was unbroken. This man might take her body, but he would never take her soul.

She was unbowed. Her green eyes flashed as they met Inuyasha's golden eyes. Proudly lifting her head, she tried to escape. The samurai noticed the leash strain and turned on her. He raised his sword to strike her down, but it never reached her. His arm was firmly in Inuyasha's grasp.

." Release her and I might let you live"

The samurai was furious. How dare this monster threaten him? Hanyou and gajin were inferior. They would fall before him. He tried to swing his sword and found that his arm was broken. His sword clattered to the ground.

The woman pounced on the sword and shoved it into the man's belly before he could speak. Inuyasha did not think he had ever seen anyone move as fast. The man was dead before he hit the ground.

Inuyasha was stunned. He had been prepared to knock out the samurai. It never occurred to him that the woman would do anything but cower in fear. Sango was dead. His memories of Kagome were still tied up with feelings of hate and betrayal.

The woman howled and flailed at the dead man until her strength failed her. She knelt before the man panting covered in his blood. Inuyasha stared at her wondered what horrors she had suffered that made her react as she did.

Screams from outraged soldiers rushing to the aid of their fallen comrade roused Inuyasha from his stupor. The woman showed no sign that she was about to rise any time soon. The choice was to run or fight.

The numbers and odds against him were increasing by the minute. The memory of what he had done in a village long ago and the blood that he still could not wash from his hands made him reluctant to kill humans.

His mother, Kikyou and Kagome still affected his outlook no matter his mother and Kikyou were long dead and Kagome was long gone. The idea that he could turn into a monster was something he did not want to risk.

He grabbed the woman without thinking and threw her over his back like a sack of potations. The idea that any woman should die because of something he did or failed to do haunted him

She was not Kikyou whom he did not dare touch or Kagome whom he carried on his back for years. She was just another woman who did not deserve to die and would not die if he had anything to say about it.

He bounded away from the soldiers, the ships and the city toward the mountains surrounding Nagasaki even though it meant treading on the land of the West. Sesshomaru's domain. A place he had vowed never to darken.

Not that he would be welcome. It was clear to all that he would never see Kagome again after the everything that happened between them and the way they parted. Sesshomaru certainly did not want to see him or have him anywhere near his mate.

The mating had been the last straw. It was clear that there was no place in Kagome's heart for him anymore. He had always hated Sesshomaru. As Sesshoumaru's mate, Kagome shared that hate. She added a little extra of her own by her betrayal.

He was roused from his reverie by someone pounding on his head and yelling in his ears " Put me down this minute you monster" ..

Ignoring her he continued ascending the mountain until he was the pursuit would not reach them. He topped suddenly throwing off his rider.. She was momentarily stunned. Inuyasha bent over her to see if she was injured

Her eyes came open flashing those beautiful green eyes. Inuyasha was mesmerized having never seen eyes like emeralds flashing in the dark before. She continued to hit and kick him until she fell at his feet totally exhausted.

Night was coming. He was hesitant to spend the night in the mountains, Scooping her up bridal style, he aimed toward the nearest village. Maybe there was an inn he could leave here until she recovered.

He had no luck in the village. The innkeeper refused to open his door to the hanyou and the whore of the youkai. He was not adverse to selling provisions and clothing at exorbitant rates and offer his stable when he saw the injuries to the woman.

Inuyasha laid the woman with the robe of the fire rat covering her and settled in for the night. Somewhere in the night, he fell asleep. He started awake when he smelled a fire. Fearing the worst, he jumped up.

To his surprise he found the woman huddled over the fire stirring a pot. He approached the pot and started to put a finger in to taste the concoction on the fire, but withdrew his hand after being rapped on the knuckles by the stick that the woman was using to stir.

He yelped and stepped back prepared to curse this woman who dared to strike him. What he saw stopped him in his tracks. Yesterday she had been a ragamuffin, then a ninja striking silently without mercy. Today the kimonos' Inuyasha obtained transformed her into a woman.

He had known beautiful women before. His mother had been kind and gentle. Kikyou an edge of steel. Kagome a volcano dormant most of the time, but her eruptions could destroy any opponent.

This woman was different Kikyou and Kagome rolled into one. It figured that he would never see the likes of his mother again. The kimono did not soften her. Instead, she bristled just under the surface. She was not a woman he wanted to tame. Her wildness matched his own.

Again he asked himself, what life had done to this woman to make her so hard. Life had killed his gentle mother. Kikyou had been forced as Jewel Guardian to wear a mask to hide her emotions. Kagome erupted whenever her friends were threatened.

She felt him staring at her. Glaring she offered him a bowl without ever taking her eyes off him. He took put out his hands to take the bowl when suddenly it was snatched back from him. She yelled at him

"No soup for you. Not a thanks. Not a bow. No appreciation of what I did to make it"

She took the bowl and began to eat. Inuyasha looked perplexed. Kagome may have sat him for his rudeness. Kikyou may have forced him to behave, but neither of them had ever withheld food from him simply because he did not say please or thank you.

Slowly, he bowed and muttered. "Thank you for making soup May I please have a bowl?"

She cupped her hand to her head "I couldn't hear you for all the whining puppy"

Prostrating himself, he proclaimed. "Please bestow food on this worthless person, oh gracious one"

She laughed. Now he was just being silly. Inuyasha looked up at her and smiled. He practically inhaled the soup when suddenly he realized. This soup was the best he ever had. He had been raised in a palace. Good food was something he knew. Her cooking put the Emperor's cook to shame.

Inuyasha was lost in his soup while his companion was busy cleaning up the pots and stowing provisions for travel when suddenly they heard voices from the front of the inn. Inuyasha smelled trouble. He rushed over to the woman and put his hand over mouth. She struggled mightily biting down hard on his hand until she heard a voice she dreaded.

"Innkeeper, are you hiding any criminals?"

"Greetings noble warrior. Maybe I have. Maybe I have not. Describe them"

"One is a hanyou who goes by the name of Inuyasha. He is very dangerous. His sword brought down the beast Naraku. The other was the general's whore. She is half Korean and half Japanese

Her eyes are green and her name is Cho."

"What did they do?"

"They killed a general as he was disembarking from Korea Hideyoshi himself has ordered them killed on sight. No one must be allowed to think that they can kill his soldiers without paying the price. Anyone helping them will be killed. Anyone aiding in their capture will be handsomely rewarded."

The innkeeper spat "They are in the stable behind the inn."

Inuyasha cursed. He grabbed Cho and whispered to her " Time to spread your wing and fly, little butterfly. We appear to have made powerful enemies"

Cho smiled at him as they sailed over the treetops. "Just what I need. Another dog. Are you housebroken?."

Inuyasha smirked "I piss wherever I damn well please"


End file.
